


Are you an angel?

by FanFicReader01



Series: The Library Chronicles [21]
Category: Poets of the Fall
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Backstory, Drabble, Ficlet, Kindness, Raiders, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:28:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29783022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanFicReader01/pseuds/FanFicReader01
Summary: This is the story of a lost lamb and the shepherd who guides it back home.
Series: The Library Chronicles [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1885000
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	Are you an angel?

**Author's Note:**

> Lol _finally_ I managed to write a little bit again :')  
> It pains me having such a block and not much time and energy left to write many stories :'(

For days, hunger and thirst have controlled his actions. The pain doesn’t seem to go away and there’s no trace of food in sight. But like a miracle, a faint scent peaks the raider’s attention. With the help of the shadows, cast by the ruins around him, he sneaks closer to the source of that delicious smell. Even with all his shaking and heavy breathing, the starved man still seems to remain hidden, invisible to his soon-to-be victim. Jani would definitely kill for some food and water right now.

The target is wearing a scarf and hat. He’s resting against the only tree in the near surroundings. He seems to be pretty confident about his safety, for he has no weapons in sight and is reading a book. Only a small fire with a cooking pot on top of it could pose a possible threat. Without thinking further ahead and overcome by intense hunger, Jani jumps out of his hiding spot, his finger already on the trigger.

“ _Give me all of your food and drinks, now!_ ” he yells.

The man in the hat looks up from his book, eyes wide from shock. However, his next moves are calm and calculated. He slowly puts the book on the ground and reaches for his hat.

“ _Don’t you fucking move!”_ Jani threatens. He then squeezes his eyes shut, aims slightly away from the other man and fires. His heart is beating incredibly hard, it even drums in his ears. When the raider opens his eyes again, he sees he shot right, and the other man isn’t really harmed.

“Please, young man, do not be alarmed. I merely wanted to offer my hat. You seem to have a sunburn,” a calm voice leaves the stranger’s lips. It really affects Jani and he gradually lowers his weapon. Now that the man mentioned it, the raider indeed feels his head burn. He wouldn’t be surprised if he were given a mirror, he’d see a scorched head in its reflection.

“You got any weapons?” Jani hisses as he takes a few steps closer to his victim.

The man nods and reveals a simple revolver, which upon closer inspection, had been hanging around his hip holster all the time. The raider aims his own gun again and forces the other man to throw away his weapon before snatching away his hat.

With one hand still pointed at the other man, Jani uses his other hand to grab a bowl and scoop up some food that has been simmering in the pot. He curses when the food is still way too hot but his stomach couldn’t care less. Like a literal starved beast, he forces the meat and veggies down his throat.

“Please, you’ll burn yourself. Here, let me give you some wa-” Without second guessing, Jani grabs the bottle from the stranger’s hands and gulps down the cooler liquid. Sweet relief!

“There you go,” the other man smiles.

After some time, the raider squirms in pain on the sand. Even with food in his belly, he still feels sick. Too occupied with feeling too much, he doesn’t notice the stranger getting closer to him.

“What do you want?” Jani slurs, barely able to get the words out.

“Nothing. But I have some medicine. Calms your nerves, it’s healing.”

“I don’t trust you.”

“Fair enough. Believe what you want. Here are the pills, in case you change your mind.” When the pain becomes unbearable, Jani’s watery eyes search for said pills and quickly he swallows them down.

Once his head stops throbbing and his stomach has calmed down a little, he dares looking into the stranger’s direction. The man is sitting against the tree again, book in hand and reading and all that.

“Are you feeling better already?” the man asks.

Jani quietly nods and their eyes fall upon each other. Blue meets blue. There’s something entirely soothing about this stranger. That, or maybe because he no longer feels starved or super sick. Jani doesn’t know anymore. And ashamed of his previous actions, he looks away and murmurs: “So… Who are you?”

“My name is Jeremiah Peacekeeper.”

“T-that’s a unique name.”

“You think?” Jeremiah chuckles. “What about you?”

“Me? I-, I’m don’t even know anymore.”

“You don’t have a name?”

“I have. It’s Jani.”

“Well, nice to meet you Jani.”

“I’m sorry. For, for what happened. I was just so, so hungry,” Jani sputters his apology while trying to avoid more eye contact.

“Apology accepted. I do hope you’ll feel better,” Jeremiah nods. “If you want you could join me. I have this group called-” The conversation gets interrupted by a scream. Not far away from them, among the ruins stands a woman. She has her gun drawn on Jani who in response also reaches for his gun.

“Esther! Put your weapons down!” Jeremiah exclaims.

“That’s one of them, Jeremiah! One of the raiders who attacked one of our caravans!” Esther snarls, not lowering her gun.

“I-, that’s,” Jani barely remembers but the woman is probably right. Guilt overwhelms him to form any proper sentence.

“Is that true?” Jeremiah asks without sounding condemning.

“I, I- think so. And I’m sorry.” It’s followed by some awkward silence, before Jani bursts out: “But hey! I lost my group. A-and they haven’t come looking for me!”

Jeremiah’s rather stoic façade changes into a easy-going smile. “Would you like to join my group then Jani?”

The raider looks as baffled as the woman who has finally put her gun back in its holster. Jani promptly does the same and nods.

“Jeremiah!” Esther cries out. She strides forward and gets up close to her leader. Without caring that the other man can hear her, she hisses: “He’s one of those _raiders_! _He can’t be trusted_.”

“ _I_ trust him. He came to me in a confused state. So I helped him.”

Jani feels the need to protest. He was ready to shoot Jeremiah over some stupid food, he had threatened him, he…

“If you want to come with us, I’ll help you recover. And you can become a better man. I believe you have it in you.” A better man. This complete stranger believed in Jani! All his fellow raiders, they barely noticed him. And if they did, it was because he fucked up. He had often wondered why they hadn’t killed or ditched him. He wondered why he had tried so hard to belong to their group. But now he was given a second chance?

“I-, I’ll try my best to atone for my sins!”

“Very well, Jani. Alright. Let’s break up this little camp and return to the group. Dear Esther, please help me too.”

“O-of course,” she stammers before getting to the action.

“I always give people second chances. Three, or four sometimes,” Jeremiah reminds her with a playful wink.

“You’re right, Jeremiah,” she sighs.

In remaining silence the trio cleans the camp. Once done, Jeremiah offers his scarf to Jani.

“You’ll need it more than I do,” he smiles.

“Thanks, thank you s-so much! I’ll make it up to you one day. I swear! I’m going to do my best!”

“I know you will. And watching you grow and evolve will be enough of a ‘repayment’ to me. Let’s get back now before it gets too dark.”

Jani is at loss for words, and for a minute he silently watches Jeremiah walk ahead of him. The sun is lowering behind the man. It gives Jeremiah this ethereal, but comforting glow. In its light, the ex-raider wonders if this is a proof that angels truly exist in this cruel world.


End file.
